One man’s horror was another man’s pleasure in the main event of
Glory 14, as two-time K-1 World Grand Prix champion Remy Bonjasky
won a highly questionable majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-29)
over former K-1 and MMA star Mirko
Filipovic in Cro Cop’s own backyard of Zagreb, Croatia.

The bout was billed as a formal retirement bout for the 38-year-old
Bonjasky, who had unofficially retired after the 2009 K-1 World
Grand Prix; he returned to the ring in October 2012. “Cro Cop,” who
has entertained multiple short-lived retirements, was the much more
assertive and effective fighter for the balance of three rounds.
“The Flying Gentleman” tried to circle around the perimeter and
find some of his trademark kicking offense but was easily defended
and countered. Filipovic repeatedly caught Bonjasky’s body kicks,
sometimes responding with punches and sometimes throwing him as if
it were a muay Thai bout.

“Cro Cop” tried with both his right and left legs to set up his
patented head kick, but the rangy and defensively savvy Bonjasky
blocked most of the attempts. The bout was a sloppy and chippy
affair and did not feature much clean scoring offense, but that
which did exist came from the Croatian. Upon the unveiling of the
decision, an obviously irritated “Cro Cop” left the ring while the
Arena Zagreb crowd voiced its displeasure.

The victory brings Bonjasky’s career tally to 95-18.

Kiria Upsets Ristie, Claims Lightweight Championship

Shock and awe continue to be the theme for Glory’s 154-pound class,
as Dutch-based Georgian Davit Kiria overcame an early knockdown and
considerable punishment to conquer 2013 breakout star Andy Ristie
and claim the Glory world lightweight championship in breathtaking,
upset fashion.

Photo: D.
Mandel/Sherdog.com

Kiria was understandably emotional after his
incredible come-from-behind KO win.

Ristie rocketed to prominence in November with his knockout wins
over Giorgio Petrosyan and Robin van Roosmalen to claim the Glory
crown in New York City, and for three rounds, his wins over those
divisional standouts appeared to be no fluke. The Surinamese-born
fighter dominated Kiria with left hooks and stepping knees to the
head and body, sending him to the canvas in the second round with a
particularly stern knee to the face. Though the champion appeared
to slow in the fourth round, the battered Kiria, with his right eye
swollen shut, did not look like he would be able to right the
ship.

In the fifth round, Ristie continued to attack and sought to close
the show rather than trying to sit on his lead. A desperate Kiria
threw two powerful right hooks that clobbered Ristie, sending him
reeling to the mat. Upon regaining his feet, Ristie tried to return
fire, but the ashihara karate specialist let loose with both hands
and continued blasting away until Ristie hit the mat once more.

With 30 seconds to fight, Kiria was a man possessed, throwing with
everything he had until Ristie collapsed into the ropes and referee
Al Wichgers rescued him at 2:22 of the fifth and final round.

Pereira's early knockdown was key in his
tournament final against Parparyan.

Pereira reached the final quickly, needing only 122 seconds to lay
waste to MMA fighter-turned-kickboxer Jacoby in their semifinal.
The Brazilian was all over the Jacoby from the bell with left hooks
and sharp kicks, eventually landing a counter left hook that
obliterated him in the corner. Parparyan’s path was more arduous,
as he wore down the nimble, kick-oriented Justin Wilnis with rugged
volume punching over three rounds to win a split decision: 29-28,
29-28 and 28-29.

The difference in their semifinal bouts was evident, as an
energetic Pereira jumped all over “Hak” with heavy punches and wild
kicks.

While Parparyan was still trying to compose himself in the first
frame, Pereira ripped him with a clean right cross that put him on
the canvas. Parparyan had more success as the fight wore on, but
the fresher Pereira kept his work rate up and, aided by the
knockdown, took the majority verdict.

With the victory, the 26-year-old Sao Paulo native earns a berth in
the Glory world middleweight championship tournament slated for
later this year.

Adegbuyi Scores Second-Round Stoppage

The brightest star of the Glory 14 undercard was Benjamin Adegbuyi,
as the robust Romanian heavyweight burned through Ukraine’s Dmytro
Bezus. The 29-year-old Adegbuyi, who sparred with UFC light
heavyweight Alexander
Gustafsson in preparation for their respective March 8 fights,
put Bezus on the canvas three times in the second frame, officially
earning the stoppage at 1:53.

Lightweight standout Murthel Groenhart had to get off of the canvas
to halt late replacement Teo Mikelic, who stepped in on short
notice for the injured Shemsi Beqiri. The Mike’s Gym product was
dropped by a crisp right cross early in the first frame, but “The
Predator” got up and went to work, opening a cut on Mikelic that
prompted a doctor’s stoppage after the first three minutes.

Photo: D.
Mandel/Sherdog.com

Benjamin Adegbuyi is a heavyweight to watch.

Former 147-pound Lumpinee Stadium and World Muay Thai Council
champion Aikpracha Meenayothin made a successful promotional debut
at 154 pounds, earning a well-appointed split decision (30-27,
30-28, 28-29) over 2002 K-1 Max World Grand Prix champion Albert
Kraus. The veteran Dutchman struggled with Meenayothin’s controlled
aggression and sharp strikes on the clinch exit and has now dropped
four straight, three of those inside the Glory ring. A weight class
above, tough Armenian welterweight Karapet Karapetyan swept the
scorecards against another former K-1 Max star, Artur Kyshenko,
taking three 30-27 tallies from the judges.

In his Glory debut, Croatian heavyweight Mladen Brestovac paid
fitting tribute to the event’s headliner, knocking out Dutchman
Jahfarr Wilnis with a left roundhouse kick to the head, a la “Cro
Cop,” in the first round. Another homeland heavyweight, Igor
Jurkovic, notched a first-round stoppage of his own. In his light
heavyweight debut, Jurkovic knocked down Holland’s Michael Duut
quickly and followed up after the count with a fight-ending swarm
of punches.